Strike Witches Tet Offensive Reloaded
by Danger Close
Summary: The Year 1968 marks the fourth year of Liberion's war in the steaming jungles of South East Asia, hell and fire in the bush! When a skinny RTO finds himself working with the "Steel Queens", a tank witch squad, heading towards the conflict's biggest battle, nothing will be the same again.
1. Chapter 1

A farmer was at work in his rice paddies. It was a simple way to live but he didn't care, it was a good way to live, looking up and resting his body on his hoe, he heard the hum of an engine as a Liberion Army Helicopter flew by, it's twin rotors working in tandem. he didn't know how often they passed waking him from is sleep.

All he knew was they we're often signs of bad news. Turning back to his crops, he went back to work in the hot sun.

 **January 28th, 1968. Vietnam.**

The helicopter ride to Phu Bai is a long and quiet one. After getting pushed off the plane and shoved into the back of a CH-47 Chinook cargo bird, i'm alone minus one other trooper siting across from me. Looking out the window I see endless rice paddies and trees pass by beneath us, the rottors of the aircraft let off a sharp hum as we fly-

"Hey, boot. You look new, what's your name"? the man across from me asks, we may be in the same army but everything else in different, his uniform is stained along with his boots a deep brown, his helmet is covered in dents and the camo cover has _**"Front towards enemy"**_ written on the front in black ink. His rifle had two mags tapped together for a faster reload and his skin is covered in dark mud. My clean and polished boots look nothing like his.

"William, William Lydon" I answer weakly, he smiles.

"Good, now I know what to write"

"Write?" I ask him.

"What to write on your Death certifcit"! he says with a laugh as I sink deeper into my seat. My dad always spoke of the comradery he and his shipmate's shared during the second Neuroi war, this wasn't the same though, this man didn't give a shit about me or if I lived or died.

The chopper jolted as it desended and the ramp opened, stepping out, a fowl smell hits my nose and i'm blinded by the sun. Standing their I can see the bases airstrip, aircraft sit motionless. Men move left and right and I find myself out of place in this. Carrying my weapon by the handle I walk down the airstrip trying to find an officer or any to ask where to go. I pass three large flag draped boxes making me look away.

Spotting a man taking inventory of some crates I walk over to him and ask "Do you know where I can find the 101st Airmobile"? The man turns around like he's seeing a ghost and takes a deep breath.

"Sorry pal, 101st got chewed up two days ago, real bad they sent 3 home in glade bags* and the rest were wounded and sent home" he said before going back to his work. I walked away, what was I to do now? My unit was gone and I had little idea what to do, walking away I seemed to drift about with little thought, maybe that's why when I walked by the bar then I stopped as i heard yelling.

"Get the fuck outta here bitch" I heard a rather bleak voice yell along with jeering. Turning my head I could see a young women, no older then 17 with a group of three GIs around here, even from this distance I could smell the drink on their breath. The girl's hair was a brown color and her skin was a pale white, the three seemed to form a circle around here with a crazy look in their eyes.

"Hey, leave her alone" I shouted at them. They turned and stood staring at me, their fists raised.

"Stay the fuck outta this doggie" one slurred out, stepping forwards I stood my ground.

"No, you going to have a problem if you don't leave this nice lady alone" I said pulling one a fist and balling it in my open palm. All three sized up and towered over me. And then the fight began.

WWW

Jamie watched as the three jarheads beat the man, two holding his arms behind his back as the third punch him in the stomach, who was this guy and why had he gone out of his way to help ? Even as nice as it was, he had made a mistake of challenging three marines to a fist fight, one he was losing.

Looking at her, he yelled out "Run, get out of here" as he was being beat down. She slowly stood up from where the three drunks had pushed her down and with a running start and sent her foot into the punchers back, with a scream toppled over, the soldiers face was lit up with surprise. The second marine balled up a fist and pulled back to strike her, ducking she grabbed his wrist and flipped him to the ground with a thud, the last one let go of the soldier and raised both fists like a boxer.

Cringing she readied herself to knock him out, only to see his feet kicked from under him and the soldier standing behind the now fallen man, a half smile on his face, a bit of blood dripping from his lips.

"Are you..." he started to ask before falling to the ground. rushing to his side, i used my strength to wrap an arm around his shoulder and helped the now half out of it man to his feet.

She carried him back to her Barracks, everyone else was asleep so she plopped the trooper on the empty bunk next to her. Looking at him, a complete stranger who risked his skin for me, I smile shutting off my lamp and drifting off to sleep...

WWW

My dreams are of home, my little sister and trip to the park, a nice hot dog and a cool soda on a Sunday afternoon. I'm awoken from my sleep after feeling a hand poke me in the face.

Opening my eyes and looking up, hovering over me is a girl in a green army uniform, her hair is low cut and red. After a few seconds of silence she grabs me by the shirt and pulls me up with ease to my feet, she grins before pushing me into a wall, her grip is strong.

"OK, who the fuck set your sorry ass in her" she quips at me. I feel her palms dig into my arms and realize two things.

One, i better answer her.

Two, she's a witch, then again the shorts instead of pants are a dead give away.

"I just helped some girl who was being attacked by a few drunks, next thing I knew, I woke up here" I tell her hoping that grip won't get any tighter, it's starting to cut of my veins.

She relaxes her grip and looks at the witch, the girl from last night.

"Samantha isn't going to like this Jamie, you know how she feels about men" she sighed letting go of me, I rubbed my wrists now red from her hold.

"The guy tried to help, I couldn't just leave him for the MPs" she protested, her voice cracking in a cute way. Raising my hands up "I leave if you want me too, I just don't have anywhere to go"

"What"? "Jamie" askes.

"My unit got fucked up out in the bush before I got here, i'm the only guy left"

"Not our problem" the strong one quips opening the door for me. Getting up I walz towards the door, only feet from it a familiar spurting of static catches my ear.

"God damn radio never works right, the rude one cries slamming a fist down on the large device sitting in her belt.

"want me to take a look at that"? I ask. She looks at me for a moment before speaking.

"Oh what the hell, you can break the damn thing for all I care, it never works anyway" she sighs handing it to me, grabbing a bit of foil sitting on a nearby bench I wrap it around the antenna in a spiral, handing it back to her she seems shocked at the fact it now works.

"How"? she says pointing at it.

"Three weeks of RTO* Training at fort Bragg, reason I was late to get here".

"If it receives or sends a signal, I can fix it" I said proudly placing my arms on my hips.

"you can stay" she said shocking me and Jamie.

"Wait, why can he stay now" she said shocked at her friends change of heart.

Pulling her over to her bunk and pulling the privacy curtain out, she spoke "He just fixed that pain in the ass radio, i hate to say it but we need someone for that thing, you know how much we need air suport or a lift and had to use that thing, i don't care what Sam says, i'll take the heat"

"Uh...i can hear everything your saying, we are still in the same room" i said as they walked back over to me and the rude one placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You can stay"she says pointing at an empty bunk.

And just like that i have a new unit, and dare i say friends?

 **Glade bag: Sang for body bag.**

 **RTO: Radio Telephone operator.**

 **I'm back! sorry this is a bit short but i'll have more next time as we introduce some new faces.**

 **Why you may ask am i rewriting this, rather then working on other stories?**

 **One, don't ask, this is text so i can't hear you.**

 **Two, because Vietnam was all ready abandoned once, i'm not doing it for the second time.**

 **next chapter we'll meet the rest of our witches and dive into their..."Plot"**

 **Sure, let's say plot.**

 **Till next time, Danger close out.**


	2. Chapter 2 The smell of Gunpowder

**Motown Scrapper: ...Uh...Uh...Yes i have no excuse their, i call muck up on my part for not checking my spelling:(**

 **Aviat0r: We'll see, we will see, like i said before, sorry about my mistakes and i'm always happy to see a new face here.**

 **January 29th, 1968.**

 _I'll admit it right now, my story doesn't start here, my family has a long history in the armed forces, from my father in the pacific all the way back the bloodest battle my country ever fought in the war that almost ripped it apart..._

 **September 17th 1862 Antieam* creek Maryland**

Lying on the side of the road with a musket ball in my side, i wondered if this is what they meant when they said i would be serving my country?

That day i had watched two masses of blue and grey march towards each other in open field like pigs to a slaughter house. I had watched our ranks from the swell 200 men to 150 and 100 all the way to 70 and now i too was hit.

After 3 hours with the pain making movement too painful as the sound of battle grow softer i enbraced my death as an angel entered my sight, her face white as a lily and hair the color of a good days sun.

Have i died and gone to Heaven?

"Are you OK"? she asks me alarmed at the wound, before i can answer two pointing red ears pop out of her head and her hands start to glow as she places them on my shoulder wound, the pain numbing away at once.

Dropping my head back, i knew then i had found the love of my life.

-Diary of Private Timothy Lydon, 3rd Division, II Corps Union Army.

WWW

 **Phu Bai Combat Base, Vietnam, January 28th 1968**

Unpacking the few thing's had on the bed, i looked them over, a photo of my sister, a second uniform and my journal. The small blue book and me have been through a lot, basic, my first tour, RTO school and now this.

Smiling a bit i place the well worn text back on my olive cot they had gotten for me, i guess the witches had extras lying around. To be honest, theirs only four other cots in here, strange for a witch unit. Then again it's news that with the war being unpopular that people are dodging the draft, an extra insult are witches who do it, during the Second Neuroi war, 90 Percent of Witches in Liberion fought overseas.

In Vietnam, only maybe 50 Percent show up to basic, the rest head for Faraway land or to our friends south of the border to live out their days in peace.

Dad called them cowards, said they didn't have the guts to fight, then again mom said he changes after the war.

My thought's are stopped as the door swings open and a girl with corn silk hair walks in with a pony tail and plops onto the bed right next to mine with a sigh, before i could speak up, she stands up and started removing her jacket and shirt.

"Uh...Miss..." i stuttered as she turned and looked at me, she was down to her Bra now, a white lacy thing that left far too little to the imagination given her C-cup size, last i had heard the Army didn't provide them with under garrmets.

"Oh, hello their, I hear your our new editon to our unit, i'm Emily" she said in an odd accent as i weakly shook her hand, my eyes looking elsewhere then her face.

"You have name"? she asked.

"Chest" i answered before covering my mouth with both hands.

"So you noticed, well don't be so shy, i'm lucky to have these" she said puffing out her chest as i swear i could feel a bit of blood escape my nose.

Oh...Sorry i'm Will, former 101st Air mobile and an RTO at your service".

"Nice to meet you Will, i was 1st Zealand Tank Corps, AZAC* forces, they sent me to this outfit after i got in country" she said beaming placing a clean jacket on, allowing me to look her in the eye again. Their green.

We spend a few minutes speaking, just background stuff, she is happy to hear i'm their for the radio "Damn thing works as often as my old man" she sighs making my smile,

"Hey, family is family, you got to put up with them" i said thinking of my sister, she's sweet and mom says she may be a witch, it runs in the family from what she says.

"Good point mate, hey can you fix our radio? We have a civie one for music and a bit of you yanks tunes never hurts" she says closing hers eyes and smiling. She takes the thing out from under her bunk, it's a small model made of plastic.

"Dropped it a few weeks back and it hasn't worked since" she tells me as i unscrew the back with a screwdriver, through the mess of wires i spot two that are tangled, unknoting both i flip the switch and the sound of music fills the air.

"That should do it" i say handing the radio back to her, she smiles and shuts it off. I went back to my things, looking over it all i stopped at the picture of my sister again.

 _"I'm doing this for you"_ i thought gazing at the photo.

 **Aboard UH-1 over Jungle.**

Gavin Degust looked at the control's for a moment as he noticed a strange rythm in the air crafts teach you in training that anything like this is a bad sigh and he looked at his co-pilot who shot back a node.

They had a problem.

He noticed that the control's were becoming slugish and not responding, it may have been a factory mistake, this bird was right off the line after all.

Grabbing the radio he spoke "This is Holly Boy-1, we have a malfunction in our aircraft, the engine may have a problem, over" he said and waited a few seconds for a replie.

(Static) "Roger Holly Boy-1, Can you make it to an airstrip over"?

"Negative, i say about five minutes tops before we're forced to land, over" he said as the aircraft began to sputter.

"Shit" he cursed as the aircraft's cockpit filled with blinking lights and beeping. Desprate, he banked down and lowered the aircraft towards a rice paddie, might as well put it down somewhere flat...ish.

As the fly down he head the rotors stop churning.

"Oh fuck" he screamed as the aircraft went down hard plowing into the water and plants bellow. In a daze he looked around, his vision shaky, ripping off his helmet and tossing it aside he swore to himself and checked his co-pilot's motionless form.

"I'm good, but my arms messed up" he said as he tapped him on the chin . I grabbed the rifle we keep in the back and grabbed some ammo.

"I think we may have woken the neighbors" i said loading a mag into the gun.

 **Phu Bai, Witches Barracks.**

I was idling with a letter home when the door flew open and the rude one (Her name was Ashly from what i had gathered) with her boot still held up from kicking the door in, walked inside.

"We got a mission" she cried pumping her fist. I stood up shaking my head "And that's a good thing"? i asked halfheartedly.

"Yes, it's just a simple rescue, some slick pilot went down in the jungle a few miles from here, he needs help fats so their sending us in, now come on, we're moving in 15, so gear up" she yells running off.

Getting up i grab my helmet along with my flak jacket, a metal lined vest that is meant to keep me safe from shrapnel, i grab my weapon, a beat up M-16 rifle and my Radio along with a few grenades.

i find the witches suiting up in their strikers, it seems that Tank striker's have changes from what we once used in the 1940s, these large hulks form "Legs" around the witches own covered in treads at the knees on both sides for faster travel but still allowing one to walk if needed in less then suitable places.

Their mid section is open minus some armor pads and two steel bars like webgear that move up to form shoulder pads for addtional mounting weapons.

Jamie's striker having an odd boxy device resting here, her striker's being built after the M551 Sheridan light tank, her main weapon is a 152mm cannon, the gun being a bit stout looking. Strapped to her back is a M-16 rifle, "Just in case".

Emily's is a boxy looking afair sporting a long 105mm gun and thick armor to beat.

"She's a Centurion, Mark 13"! she calls out seeing me eyeing it, finnaly i get a good look at Ashly's, mounting a huge gun and armor, i can tell it's an M48 Patton, named after the famed General from the second Neuroi war this beast is not to be messed with.

"Uh..how am i getting getting into the fight" I ask raising a hand.

"That's what the bar here is for" Jamie said pointing at a Bag grafted to the side of her Striker leg that looks more like the thing holds your car mirror then something safe , the Sheridan had a small platform for me to stand on, maybe the size of a skateboard.

"Come on now, it's won't bite you" she added smiling at my hesitance to climb aboard.

 _"Oh Screw it"_ i thought getting on, my rifle in one hand by the handle and my other gluedded to the bar as they started their craft and we we're off in a cloud of smoke and dust.

WWW

No Sooner had we hit the road when the tune of CCR's classic Fortunate Son filled the road.

"Goddamn, do you ever leave that damn radio"? Ashly asked Em, who had brought the small device along and had it clipped to her belt.

"No, a true soldier never goes into combat without their Fiffe and Drummer" she shot back beaming a smile the size of Rhode Island.

"You know Samantha hates it when you do that" Jamie added butting in, we where driving in file but it suprised me how well the managed to speak to each other without looking, but still able to tell who one is addressing.

"Excuses me" i interjected. They stopped and after a second i understood the silence was for me to speak.

"Who is this Samantha Person if i'm entitled to ask"?

"She's our CO. real mean mother too, right now she's in Saigon" Ashly answered as i watched us pass a rice paddie.

"She fought in the Big one and saw action in the Chosin Reservoir* defending fox hill with nothing but a Bayonet and her fists"! she proclaimed proudly with a smirk.

"wait, that's almost 30 years of service, how is she still a witch"? i yelled over the roar of their Strikers.

"She never lost her magic, she said something along the lines of "Once a marine, Always a marine".

"She sounds like a real charmer"!

"You could say that" she yelled in return.

"Turn right ahead" Jamie yelled as the trio pulled a right at a fork in the road. I realized something as they did so.

"Wait, so which one of you is in charge well she's gone"?

The three seemed to think about it before answering in tandem "We're a team"!

OK, still doesn't answer my question but in a way, it does.

 **Five Clicks** **East**

Jumping behind a log i shit my eyes as a fury of lasers struck the wood, sending spliters flying everywhere. Ahead a Neuroi with the body of a spider and a Neuroified MG ontop had us pined down, rather then firing a single powerful blast, if fired short burst of fire at us, well less powerful they would still put a hole in your head.

As the firing stopped i raised my M-16 above the log and let lose a volly of return fire.

"Did you hit it"? Connor asked, the Co-pilot still clutching his wounded arm with his good hand. I slowly stuck my head up to check. Their was nothing in sight.

"No, i think it's trying to flank-

Out of nowhere a hail of red death struck the log in the space between us kicking up dirt and wood chunks into the air again. I screamed pulling Connor over the other side with one hand and firing my rifle in the enemy's general area in the other.

"Shit, this thing is smarter then i thought" i cursed aloud feeling the wood spliter's dig into my flight suit. As i wiped the wood off of my chest, the beast pounced over my cover behind me and Connor, i could feel the evil comign off it as it slowly walked towards us, raising my rifle i was met with a _Click_

"Shit" i swore closing my eyes.

My ears expected the sharp _Wap_ of a Laser tearing through my skull, instead i was met with hard _Thump_ and opened my eyes to see the black shape of my enemy fly off into the brush, i turned to see a Tank witch with dark red hair, a Large caliber cannon in one hand, her Shield erect in the other.

"You called for some reenforcements"? she joked with a smirk.

Connor spoke before me, jumping over and hugging her striker unit "I love you" he cried holding back tears and the smell coming off him told me just how scared he was, that and the deep stain on his pants.

Behind her two more Witches rolled up, one's striker was the same size, the other was smaller and a bit sleaker then her companions.

But i never expected to see a grunt with them, even less for it to be Will. He came running behind them all and pressed himself up to what was left of the log with me, he gazed at me and smiled.

"Gavin, long time no see"

I punched him in the shoulder "Not since basic".

"Ladies, you can have your meet and great later, right now that thing is still out their, so FIRE FROM THE HIP" Ashly screamed as the three modern day armored Valkeries unleashed their fury on the jungle in front of us.

It was as if some force, some great gust of wind or the lord himself had arrived, every tree fell over in seconds, brush and tall grass vanished in an instant. They had switched to their back up weapons, now, and as quickly as they had started, they ceased firing.

"Are they dead" Will yelled, i realized he hadn't covered his ears as quickly and was a bit dazed by the sudden gunfire.

"I think we did" Emily said happily. Jamie seemed to gaze into the mist of smoke their weapons had raised and i slowly her eyes grow wide.

"Fall back" she yelled pointing into the hae, i looked and saw what had her so spoked.

And entire Platoon of Neuroi "Charlie"* type drones, the humanoid kind with a blaster on each arm where inbound and fast, not 150 yards away.

"F*** me and call me a whore, Will jump on, you two on them, let's beat feet Asap" Ashly ordered as the three men climbed aboard and they pulled a U-turn back into a rice paddie.

The three stopped in a treeline on the opposite side of the paddie they had just come and had their weapons trained on the other side.

Will fumbled with the radio for a moment, getting it off his back and flipping a few switches before it sounded to life.

 _(This is Hiker 2-1, we need Air Immediate support, we have an entire platoon of Black Heads in bound on our location, Grid Refrence, Zero Golf two Actual , copy over)_

Before he could receive and answer, Emily opened fire spotting movement in the opposite treeline from them.

"Contact front" she yelled sending a HE shell roaring towards their foes.

"All right, we need to hold off these A-holes until Will can bring the rain girls" Ashly yelled over the sound of gunfire, Will realized very quickly who realy was leader without Samantha around.

 _(Hiker 2-1, this is Foxtrot Gold, i have an entire load of ordnance ready for go, just give me a target,over)_

"Thank god" the RTO sighed in between firing his rifle and working the radio.

 _(Requesting Willy Pete on treeline ahead of current position, be advised this will be Danger close* i repeat, Danger close within 60 yards of us, copy?)_

Their was a tense silence as the pilot put the data through his mind.

As this was going on, the the three witches and the still armed pilot where trying to keep the enemy from gaining any ground, Gavin watched as three "charlies"* tried to break to the side and catch them in an overlapping field of fire.

"Left flank, their pushing up" he yelled, Jamie turned her Striker towards them and tapped the trigger for the device on her shoulder, it fired a wire guided rocket that struck the ground ahead of the three, the first took the brute of the blast, it was dead before it hit the ground, the second found both it's legs gone and was quickly filled with lead.

The third turned and fired a beam over their heads sending a hail of leaves down from the tree it struck.

Damn it, things are getting hotter then Texas in the summer" Jamie screamed her normal voice cracking in place of a western Accent.

"25 seconds to drop" Will yelled placing the radio's receiver down and firing his rifle at an advancing foe.

Ahead of them the Neuroi lined every tree, firing at the besiedged witches and their conpanions in an overwelming attack trying to break their line.

"Last Mag" Gavin yelled jamming the device into his weapon, he looked at Will who held up one finger and nodded and then Connor, now down to his pistol.

 _( Get you heads down and hold onto your dicks)_ The pilot yelled as they watched a small sky raider fly to almost tree top level and point it's nose towards the Neuroi.

"Here comes the Rain" Ashly screamed as they watched two bombs strike the trees before exploding into fiery flames and vaporizing the treeline into a forest fire.

The three witches where without words.

"Good old White Phosphorus" Will smirked as he watched the fire burn, the entire time the roars-no the screams pf the Neuroi could be heard, their cries of terror and pain seemed to be endless.

After a few minutes it ended, them fire burned itself out and all that remained was ashes.

"Jesus" Gavin muttered again watching the lack of pity on his friends face, yes the Neuroi where the enemy but they weren't dumb monsters, they felt every burn as a human would.

"Well then...i guess we should be getting back to base..." Emily moaned taking a deep breath, the fight had taken a lot out of her.

"All right then, let's mount up" Ashly said one last time as the men did so, and slowly they made their way home after a day of battle.

...

 **Wow, that wasn't easy to write, i'm sorry this took so long, now then, lets go over the terms used in this chapter shall we?**

 **Battle of Antieam: The Bloodest single day during the Civil War with over 2000 dead. Goes for real life and Strike Witches.**

 **AZAC*: Australis Zealand Army Corps, the joint military of Austrailus and Zealand. The SW TO Version of ANZAC, Australian New Zealand Army Corps.**

 **Battel of the Chosin Resovoir: 27th of November to 13th of December 1950, Liberion forces came into Conflict with the Neuroi and where forced to pull out of Northern Kita Peninsula.**

 **Danger Close: The use of fire within 600 yards of a Target or closer, also my Pen name:)**

 **Charlie*: Liberion forces nickname for Humanoid Neuroi, real U.S forces name for Viet Cong taken from their NATO alphabet name Victor Charlie, later used by servicemen to discribe any enemy.**

 **Until next time.**

 **Read and review.**

 **PS: thank you to Jakers-Reviews for lending me that Chest joke!**


	3. Chapter 3 Memories of worse days

**Colonel AmiruddinArifsulaiman: hehe, perhaps, Perhaps soon...in all honesty i have never viewed A.N in full so you'll have to wait and see...**

 **General Ashton: Thank you, i often type quicker then i can think so my hands tend to miss use some words, and i'm now keeping the Eyes bit, whenever i try to erase and change it i start laughing.**

 **Motown Scrapper : thank you and again, some times my hands mix up the words and i miss them when i go over it (There's a lot more before i read over it) "My Research" is in fact, rather light, i watched Platoon the other day well writing a chapter, along with reading the Nam, a comic book written by Doug Murray and Edited by Lary Hama (Of GI Joe real American hero fame), both are Nam vets and wrote one of the finest comics i have ever read( i own around 8 issues and have read a dozen more), minor info is taken from Wiki (All taken with a grain of salt).**

 **As i have said before, i will try my best to improve.**

 **DontShootMeh: Yep, nothing saves the day like a Sky Raider (For anyone "Out of the know" The Sky Raider was a prop wing fighter built just in time in 1946 to miss out on WW2 but saw service in Korea and latter as a Close Air support aircraft in the war in Vietnam, two different Skyraiders even managed to splash NVA Mig Jet fighters in an a dogfight during the war, not bad for a prop wing plane)**

 **Capt Freedom: My mistake, the site i found the "Offical" term online was lacking, i understood what it was but definded in wrong, thank you.**

After our Battle with the Neuroi, we manged to make it to a nearby highway and hitched a ride with an armored Column,the commander being happy to give us a ride given how we looked, tired. I watched the three tired Tank Witches taking off their Strikers, folding them up and tossing them up on a M113's* roof and sitting on top with me and the chopper pilots.

I watch the smoke from the fire drift up into the sky, still being able to see it from the road miles away, it brings back memories...

...

"Get Down"! the call came from our point man as a mass of red fire pushed those too slow from their feet to the dirt. An uproar of fire builds all around me, my squad mates dead or dying, their blood and guts all around me...

...

 _"Hey"_ i hear snapping me from the memory, i look over to see the three witches, waving at a passing truck full of GIs, their cat calls are meet with the blow of kisses, a sign of good faith to men who will likely see combat soon, the thought of a few pretty girls their only calming point before their dance with war.

Gavin is resting with his helmet on backwards, shame since i wouldn't mind talking to him right now. Watching as we pass a village i wonder how we can fight a war with people just living here, a little boy waves at me, i wave back and smile. I

It's insanity. Still my job is to fight, i'm not payed to think, that's for the REMFs* in command.

Relaxing my head back down on my radio like a metal pillow i try to catch a nap and escape the war for a few...

...

So the he asked her what she thought of it, and she says,"It's big...it big". He then asked why she needed to repeat herself? Emily said laying out the Punchline like a waited as both her fellow witches looked at her with large eyes before going on.

"I didn't. it was the echo from the bulge"

"Get it"? she asked her two fellow witches again.

...

"It was because he had a big dick"

"I understood, it just wasn't that funny" Jamie shot back confused at what the busty girl thought was funny.

"I don't know, dicks are pretty funny stuff" she added with a wave of her finger as she closed her eyes and laided back down with her head down and her arms resting behind her as if she was without a care in the world. The three where just happy to have some time to relax, after a fight with their magic cooling down they needed a bit of lay time.

"You two OK back there"? Ashly shouted to the two pilot's on the track behind them.

"Fine maim, just a bit shaken up, that's all" the chopper pilot said looking weary, his flight suit was stained with mud and grime, the legs ripped a bit from the jungle brush, an M-16 rifle sat at his side leaning against his leg. The man's temple was sweating bullets and he looked beat to hell.

Reaching into her uniform pocket, Ashly threw a cigarette. The pilot caught it without looking at it in his hand before lighting it up and taking a puff.

"Thanks, needed that" he said as he answered her unasked question.

"What's with Mr boom boom over there"? she asked pointing a finger at the RTO, sitting alone in silence, his gaze off in the distance.

'He gets that way...wasn't until after basic though, i realy wouldn't know t be honest" the pilot said truthfully. Ashly tilted her head "Oh? How do you two know each other anyhow? Former Lovers"?

The man smiled "Close. Best friends since middle school,we sighed up together but the second we got to Air Mobile Training and i saw a chopper...i knew i wanted to fly, Will stayed a trooper and we lost touch from then on, he wrote now and then but after a bit...just stopped all together" he frowned.

"All i know is he's seen his share of hell, go easy on him please" he added, Ashly took note and nodded as the convoy of "Gavins"* moved onwards.

Passing through the Gates of the base, they disenbarked, the plots parting ways with them, dragging their strikers over shoulder, the three witches and trooper walked back into their small shack and dropped into bed, too tired to get undressed or put away their weapons...

...

 **January 30th, 1968, 1:30 AM**

...What the...is that music?

I lift my head, Emily and Jamie are both asleep, the first snoring well the other breaths softly. Getting up i slip into my boots, the one thing i did have the bright idea to take off before sleeping, and poke my head outside the shake door. i catch sight of Ashly smoking outside, she shakes her head looking at the shake across from us, lit up like the 4th of july, loud singing is coming from inside.

"Fucking Bastard Squad over there never shuts the fuck up" she sighs catching me. I can here them, singing Wolly Bully...poorly may i add.

Still watching we both saw a man run out the shake door screaming "YEAH" at the top of his lungs before throwing up in front of us both and passing out.

'Damn Jarheads..." she sighed again taking a long drag of her smoke before putting it out with the sole of her just smiled before going back to bed.

I would need the sleep soon enough...

...

 **A Shau Vally late 1967...**

"Yo. Will, wake your ass up" i heard as my friend wrapped a fist on his helmet. I opened my eyes and blinked in the midday light, 'Horse Mouth" smiled showing his teeth and gums. his helmet band houses a home made playing card with a yellow face, it's mouth twisted into a smile.

"Damn it Horse Mouth, who do i have to screw to get five minutes of peace in this dame war" i sighed.

"Peace in a war, now there's something" my friend smiled. looking around the Huey* the men's faces tell you who's a vet and who's new, the new recruits, drafted or joined by choice hold a smile at the thought of combat, the Vets instead hold a grimace.

They know what lies ahead in store for us all. The LT looks unsteady, he looks at our Sergeant "Rock" as we called him, and he stands up and looks at us all, easy as in such a tight space it's a mere turn of the head.

"Men, we'll be landing at LZ Oscar, from there we'll move up to take Hill 792 from the Neuroi, men will die, i will not sugar coat it, but i will try my best to keep you all alive, we will need to lean on each other at times, but look to the man to your right and then to your left, he will help bring you home, you will help bring him home, good luck to us all" he finished taking his seat.

This was it, a airborne assault into the A Shau Vally, up until now ,US Army headquarters was too scared to even try to send them into this hell hole, the Neuroi owned this place, simple as that, we knew it, they knew we knew it, end of story.

But now we're doing it.

We're going to go in an establish a foothold in this hell hole if we ever want to think of trying to get these bastards out of here. The choppers set down in a clearing, almost out of place in the thick jungle covered rolling hills around us. Out both sides streamed our squad, other choppers near us let off their own troops before taking off as quickly as they had came.

"Those Air Cav pilots don't like to stick around too long" Horse mouth laughs as we ease into the treeline towards our objective.

"Give me a skirmish line, i want a man every six feet, spacing is key" the LT orders as we fan out into the jungle. We move through in silence,only using hand signs if needed.

After a short "Walk in the woods" the ground begins to clear of trees, the soil is burnt up and its clear nature had no say in it.

"Eyes up" someone says horsely as we scan all around. Ahead lies the hill, the sides are barren save a few tree stumps and craters. We get down, the LT and Sgt "Rock" going over what to do. After a few minutes, "Rock" walks over and speaks with our squad.

"all right guys, the Arty is going to blast this hill with their big shiny guns, then we're going to assault it, close quarters fighting is expected, fix bayonets"

We looked at him as if he was crazy "I said fix Bayonets" he commanded again. The sound of clicking as we snapped the blades to our rifles filled my ears afterwards. In a moment we hunkered down and waited for the bombardment...

We didn't have to wait long.

Shells sailed overhead, slamming into the hillside with a great far off crack, loud roar and hiss, the latter was the hot shrapnel as it embedded itself into the cool jungle soil. I held my helmet down against my sweat covered head and prayed the gunners would miss and hit us all at the base of the hill.

As it ceases, Rock is the first man up "MOVE IT"! he yells waving an arm up for us to follow, with a mighty roar, our Platoon moves up the slopes at a dead run. The Neuroi seem to have been unfazed by the bombardment as they open fire at once,cutting down soldier left and right as screams for "Help" and "Medic" follow suit.

Our man on the Sixty* is Smith, we call him Arksaw after his home state, Smith hits the dirt in front of me and lays down a mean burst of fire towards our front, we can hardly see five feet in front of us, let alone the enemy at this point, dust being kicked up everywhere, but i ear the agonizing scream of Dying Neuroi and can tell he hit home.

I jump down next to him and switch my safety of and fire my rifle, the feeling is uneasy tome and almost alien, i haven't used it since out of training since my time back in the states. Firing it dry I reload, ejecting the spent mag as the last bullet leaves the weapon,i'm in a daze now, fighting for my life as lasers strike over head.

"Keep moving, stay low and don't get pinned down" Rock tells through the symphony of battle all around us. Echoing gunshots,tracer fire in the mist and yelling.

"Damn it, come on"! i hear and look to see Arksaw waving men forwards, his MG at his hip spaying hot death downrange. Other's rally with him, we manage to and we push on, up the slops of hell and into the fire. Above us a Huey outfitted with Rocket pods blast the top of the hill with a load or ordnace. As it flies away, a beam catches the tail rottor and it spins out into the jungle with a loud crash and flames.

"Damn it, they're pissed" someone yelled over the noise of the fire fight. Crawling as more fire flies over mu head, i see the LT and our Radioman, huddled behind a fallen tree stump in the mud.

"Pound-2, Pound-2, we need mortar fire on grid...2134 Echo Lima, copy" he yelled into the radio. The static afterwards is followed by garbled voices.

"YES DAMNIT YES"! he yells, more garbles come through in return. We jump to the deck as a large crawler raises itself up over the top of the hill, a Neurofied MG sit's on it's underbelly, hot red death passes by in bolts, like tracer fire from an M60.

"Jesus Christ, someone take out that thing fast" Arksaw yelled pulling a kid next to him down. Above the whine of the incoming mortar shell comes into ears reach, the Walker takes a shell to the back and we finish it off with small arms fire.

Cries of "Get some" and "Horah" fill the air as the best goes down. The whine of mortars still is heard as another strikes, and another, the shells landing closer to us each time, sending handfuls of soil into the bleak sky.

I question weather or not what think is going on is, and as a mortar shell lands tearing the trooper in front of me to pieces. Around us the shells begin falling with a roar like thunder.

"Shit, squad, fall back"! Rock yells over the arty. We turned and ran, rounds landing all around us, throwing men and earth sky high. The screams of those we left behind floated in the air alongside the stench of burning flesh, gunpowder and blood.

The blood streaks of enemy fire followed at our heels, like yapping dogs of death on my boyhood paper route. Some of us fall, other's don't, in this madness i can't stop and tell.

As we retreated into the steaming jungle, i looked back one last time at the blood soaked hillside...

...

I wake up in a sweat, feeling cold in South East Asia is never a good sign. Wiping the cool sweat from my face i find a note next to my bunk.

 _Hey Grunt._

 _We're at the Bath, be back latter._

 _Ashly_

Nice,and i'll just sit here then...

Fuck that, i look/smell like hammered shit, might as well bath too!

...

The red head sighed as she sank into the cool river, their little area was covered on three sides by bushes, nice and private from the prying eyes of any privates.

Just the way she liked it. The water swayed slightly as Emily entered, the Busty Zealander lowered herself in, placing both of her hands behind her head and closing her eyes. The warmth of the stream, partly due to the use of the witches magic to heat it, felt amazing on her skin.

"Ooohhh" she heard a female moan and opened one eye to watch Jamie, the blonde playing with her friends...breasts, she got that way around her friends if they showed too much skin.

She learned to live with it, who cared if your squad mate was boob crazy if she watched your back in the field. Still she just closed her eyes and tried to think everything was normal for a few more minutes so she could forget she was in this damn country.

Still as she sank deeper into the water, she tried her hardest to forget about it all...

...

"So then, i tell him, "Listen, if you want this, you gotta earn it" and he has this look like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar" the women said, her uniform. that of a Marine, her hair was shorter then it had once been, but her eyes just as mean, although if you asked her yourself, Samantha Highway hadn't changed in mind since 1941.

She now found herself in the Brig after a night of...questionable actions, entertaining the few other people in with her, two Brown Water Navy pukes, a fellow Marine and a few Soldiers from the 25th Infantry in for being "AWOL".

The men laughed at her story, a bit of a break from the harsh grey walls of their prison was welcome, but one trooper, a balding man who looked more like a cars salesmen then a soldier wasn't amused at the noise, his hangover from a night of drinking was killing him.

"Hey Jarhead, keep it down, if you wanna grease someones ass, do it's without the foreplay will ya"? he slurred. The other men looked suprised at his comment, none laughed. Highway looked up at him and gave him a cold look.

"I take it your a man who speaks from experience, maybe pumping your dog in the backyard, well you were playing with Fido, i was kicking ass, i'm a marine and i'm cold tired and hungry, i piss Napalm and eat barbed wire, so go fuck off before i make you bleed" out some real pain she added.

"You shut the hell up, i'm about ready to kick your ass" he grunted rolling up his sleaves. She sighed standing up and sweeping his feet from under him sending him to the ground.

"Why don't you just sit there and think about the pain i will inflict on you if we keep going"? she asked returning to her seat and story. But he hadn't had enough, maybe it was the booze in his system or just dumb thinking that made him pull the small blade from his hip, he had hid it when they took his stuff and threw him in here, and now he planed to use.

"I'm gonna carve me some ass kicking" he yelled running forwards like a mad bull, he pulled herself up and kicked him in the stomach sending him reeling back on his heals onto the ground. He lie there but a moment before she spoke "Why don't you just sit there and bleed a minute, think about trying me again, she noticed his fingers grasping for his blade, a few feet away.

"I don't think so"! she spat out stomping his fingers with her boot, he cried out in pain sobbing, everyone looked at him and then the Marine, she sat back down and went back to telling her story.

"So then..."

...

Walking through the base, i found a river running next to it, some of the troops use to bath in. The showers are shit here so we don't think twice about this kinda thing. Bare chested, i watched a few men striped to various states of undress, in the water, laughing and splashing like kids. I sighed, not wanting to be nude near them. Yes i'm gun shy go laugh if you want.

Still, i needed a wash, and i'd rather do it alone then face others looking at me,so i walked down the bank of the river until i found a rather private space, brush all around and changed i was just in duty uniform, so i just removed my kaki green shirt, pants and undershirt and the rest, i placed my boots, caked in mud, to the side, i would soak em latter to try and get the stench of foot out of em.

Slipping out of my boxers, i sighed at the wall of brush in front of me, sticking a bare leg through the water was warm so i moved through the barrier and splashed into wait felt more like a hot tub then a shitty river in a far off land, letting the water run over me.

"So nice..." i sighed.

...

"The hell"? i heard a voice not my own but all to familiar to me ask, opening one eye i was looking face to face, i looking the three witches in the face, Ashly's hair was done up into a bun behind her wet head, Emily was lying with her back against the river bank,Jamie's head lying on her shoulder, the latter's eye still closed and looked to be in heaven in the hot stream.

"Uh..." i started to speak but a hand crossed the redheads lips and hushed her

"Just let him be,He fought just as hard as we did and it's not like he'll be seeing anything" Emily laughed waving at the steam that was think enough to cut through with a saw. The hotheaded witch sighed "Fine, just don't try anything" as she sunk deeper into the water to protect her "Goods" from prying eyes. The man let a smile creep across his face before cupping his hands and dumping some water unto his head and rubbing a bit of cheap soap in.

"I'm not sure about you guys, but back in the "One oh Dread" we didn't get stuff like this often" he smirked as dirt and grime washed out between his hands. The amount of shit coming out was like a sick joke, a clown car almost.

"What was that like anyhow"? Emily asked, the good chested girl asked. he smiled.

"Day in day out, put up with average Army bull, S&D missions here and there, nothing you wouldn't know"

"Like what" Jamie asked looking up from her "Assault" titling her head at the soldier. "In the field, if you need to shit, you get handed a shovel and pointed into the brush, if your hungry, you eat a K-Ration, no warm bubble baths or hot chow like you gals get"

"Hey, we're not spoiled either! It's not exactly the Waldorf in our quarters"! Ashly interjected, keeping one ear open. He nodded "True, but hot chow every night, not having to worry about charlie blowing a hole through your head well you sleep sounds better then what we had out there" he waved to the jungle out past the perimeter.

"Out there, it's just your wits, your rifle and you" he sighed letting the warm water flow over him and engulf him in warmth, it felt nice against his skin, used to the harsh jungle and sweat of a days march.

"So then, where did you three serve before this"? he asked back. The Busty girl spoke first "Like i said, i was AZAC, part of the Witch Corps, Tank outfit,1st Tank corps, not much to say after that"

"Well what about your Striker, last i checked, AZAC didn't have any armor in Country" he asked.

"Oh well you see my Mark 13 was...sorta...

"She stole it from an Austrailus Army Depot" Ashly stated butting in making her friend turn a shade of crimson more commonly seen on flowers you'ed give a loved one on a date.

"Stolen is such a harsh word, i just asked for some help getting to base and the CO was such an ass...and then i laid my eyes on the most sexy looking Tank Striker this side of Orussia" she sighed recalling the memory fondly.

"You stole a Striker? How the hell didn't you get thrown into the stockade?" the man quesioned, recalling a fellow trooper getting three days in the stock for stealing a Candy Bar on leave in Saigon. There's a reason we called him "Snickers" for the rest of our tour.

"How the hell did you get away with that"? Will asked her.

"Uh...Samatha got me out of it" she sighed as Ashly rolled her eyes "She means she was a phone call away from a Court Marshal until Highway got it fixed" she laughed as her friend blushed again.

"I keep hearing about this woman, yet i haven't seen her around, reason"?

"She's in Saigon speaking with HQ" the redhead answered back ringing out her hair to wash with some soap. After a moment, the three erupted giggling

"The last time she "Spoke with HQ" she got in a bar fight and put three sailors in the Hospital" Jamie added, now finished with her "Assault". The three shared another unspoken joke, laughing about something he hadn't heard.

"She's someone you love or you hate, nothing in between or so we've found" Jamie added with a last laugh. After a moment, the laughter settled and all eyes turned to the RTO "So, you seen any _real_ action"? Ashly asked without changing her smile out something more suited to the question.

"Yes...i've seen my share of the shit" he said in a emotionless tone that made it clear he knew what she had in mind when asking the question. She gets two looks from her fellow witches that burn her cold, they both know she shouldn't have asked the question.

"A Shau vally in "67" he answered.

"Hot shit"?

"Yes, hot shit up to our chins" he sighed recalling more then chopper being shot down, "Ned" had snipers everywhere, picking off officers and razing hell everywhere, and then there was Hill 792...

"A Shau Vally" she croaked recalling the beating the 101st took in that place. A moment of utter dead silence hung over them. Both the Airborne trooper and the Tank witch locked eye with a blazing gaze as if two war gods we're showing down each other for a battle to the death.

"Maybe we should talk about...something else" Jamie interjected in an attempt to cool down what was unfolding before her very eyes.

"Maybe she's right there" he sighed shaking his head and thinking a moment "Your witches right"? he asked, before they could answer the easy question he went on "So you have Familiars then"? he asked.

Before he could ask further, a glow erupted from Emily revealing a pair of half round ears covered in brown fur and a little stubby tail like a dog's.

"Mine's a Brown Stoat" she smiled, the ears twitching a bit before retracting them back into herself.

"Oh, my turn" Jamie cried with glee as another light filled the air and Jamie now sported a pair of pointed red ears and a busy tail to match Red Fox" she giggled, her tail waving a bit back and forth out of the water like a rudder on a ship or like the blades on a helicopter, then again who ever heard of a fox that can fly with it's tail?

Retracting her features,she looked at Ashly who shock her head "No"

"Come on Ash, you gotta" Jamie said teasing her friend, poking her in the cheek "Jesus fine" she sighed glowing as the girl closed her eyes, a short black and white tail and ears took shape and settled.

"Wow, your's is a badger huh"? the trooper asked causing the girl to blush "IT'S A HONEY BADGER"! she yelled, having spent years doing it to those who didn't know the difference. he laughed and said he was sorry "Just never seen one tat's all" in a moment, they all laughed, not as soldiers, but as a few people, friends if you wanted to say it, but for a moment, the war was not on any of their minds.

That would change soon enough.

...

 **Yeah, so there's chapter three for you, not much happens but it's meant to fill some things on the "Steel Queens"(A name i have yet to add into the story) i realized a while back that i never did point out their familiars, but when your in combat, you tend not to notice.**

 **And here's a shout out to my War Buddy, you know who you are, sorry i haven't seen your in a while.**

 **Now onto Terms**

 **M113: Armored Personel Carriers used during the Vietnam War (And seeing Service up until the Gulf War) armed with a .50 Cal Machine gun on the roof.**

 **REMF: Someone who has no Front line or combat experience and, therefor making combat mistakes that cost lives.(Taken from Dictionary)**

 **Gavin: what some say was a slang term for the M113 Armored Personel Carrier, yet ask most vets and they'll tell you they've never heard it called that, just though it sounded cool.**

 **Huey: Nickname for the UH-1 Helicopter, the workhorse of US forces during the Vietnam war.**

 **Sixty: Slang for M60 GPMG**

 **A Shau Vally: The site of Fighting between the NVA/VC and US Air Mobile Forces from 1967-1969, the most famous battle in the area being he fighting for Hill 937 "Hamburger Hill" (So called for the Battle of "Pork Chop Hill" another battle fought in the Korean War) The idea came after speaking with a Nam vet, who didn't want to talk (Fine with me) and only said the A Shau Vally is where he took some Shrapnel in his right hand.**


	4. Chapter 4 Fangs Out

**Motown Scrapper: true, i tend to work all day on one, then go to sleep right after publishing a chapter, i caved and assumed the spell checking i had all ready done was good enough, i was wrong, sorry:(**

 **hungrykiwi: My mistake, i was reading online about Nam era "113"s, the speaker said he had never heard the term used during his service, perhaps it came after Vietnam? Or maybe your right and i'm wrong? Still thank you for taking the time to leave me feedback, anythings better then nothing right?**

*Static*"...And following protests as the order for 100,00 more troops to better combat the Neuroi Forces threatening Southern Vietnam was announced, the national guard was deployed to restore order in the streets..." *Static*

"...US Marines at Khe Sahn killed after rocket attack on main combat base today at 8:30 in the morning..."

"...And i know, that if we can fight, not with guns or bombs, but with love and hope, we will win the day..."

*Static*

 **January 30th 1968...**

Flying high, her Piper Cub Strikers painted in the color of the VNAF, Lu Cao smiled checking her watch, it read 1:30. The witch was dressed in the brown uniform of the Armed Forces of Vietnam and blocked the sun as she passed by overhead.

 _"if i'm late again..."_ she sighed to herself using her free hand to push her black hair out of her face, her skin lightly tanned from the sun of her native nation. She shivered as she flew in the cool wind, her SKS barrel brushing against her exposed calf past her flight shorts.

The roar of her engines behind her, she banked low next to a convoy of pine green Liberion Army trucks, the uncovered rears filled with infantry men in green with rifles, she waved and smiled, they waved back grinning at her as she pulled up back into the air. Tomorrow was the start of Tet, a new years holiday in Vietnam, many troops would be given time off, and she, after this, would be one of them.

She had a message to deliver after all, she may have almost failed flight school and ended up geting stuck as the next best thing to a mailman, but she would be the best damn mailman she could be! Running a hand over her carry bag strapped to her side she could still feel the documents inside, orders from Saigon to Phu Bai. Patting it she flew faster north towards Hue...

...

In the back of one of the convoy trucks heading down the same dirt road, a squad of weary Marines sat, their flack Jackets clung tightly to their bodies stuck to them with sweat, their helmet straps hung off the sides of their heads, rifles leaning against their legs they chatted idly with each other.

"Damn Skipper, she sure was a looker wasn't she" Private Lyle asked blushing coyely like a schoolboy, Sergeant Cole just shock his head in silence, unalike his CO, private Parks, added his own two cents

"Naw, she was a slant, you know they'll screw you up with all sorts of shit in the sack" the black man laughed as Lyle frowned with anger "I didn't mean it like that" he said in his farmboy's drawl in his own defense. "Just thought she was good looking is all" he tried in vain to save himself from his comrades jibs.

"Knock it off you apes, i'm trying to get some sleep"the "Skipper" said slapping the nearest man in the back of his head. The older marine just wanted some quiet, the one thing he'd so far been hard pressed to get. For Marine Corps Sgt Cole, this was his second war.

"Oww,come on Sarge, i was the one being yelled at"Lyle said rubbing the back of his head. Next to him, another marine laughed loudly only to be cut off by a low _zip_ cut through the air and sliced into his head, the red thin blur hit with the sound of a melon being split in a flash of crimson as the truck stopped

"Shit sniper! Everybody out now" the Sergeant yelled kicking the back out of the truck and jumping out, followed with his men in tow as they dived into a long drainage ditch next to the road. Two leathernecks lugged and M60 GPMG into place, setting up the bi-pod and the other getting into prone firing stance, slowly.

"Get that Sixty going"! he screamed again as the weapon fired, chattering like a buzz saw chopping down greenery that may have housed a sniper with ease.

"The rest of you, short bursts at anything that ain't human, make every bullet count! jar heads" he shouted over the battle before them.

"OORAH"! they screamed back returning fire as Neuroi moved into the brush, the cries the of dying monsters warming the men's hearts. Muzzle flashed all around, an entire company of Marines battling the Neuroi in the countryside had gone from a small ambush to an all out war zone in the span of a few minutes time.

Cole reloaded his rifle and felt a tap on the shoulder, he pivoted his neck and saw the squad's RTO,the skinny black man held the receiver in hand.

"Sir,i've got fast movers on station,flyboys just happen to be in the area, ready to go on your order" he grinned as the man took it from him "Listen, i've got these fucks up to my elbows so this is gonna be close, the sonsofbitches are held up in a tree line around seventy to ninety yards south of the road we're pinned down on, drop some boom boom, no Napalm, too close for comfort, over" he sighed as two aircraft roared in from the east, their guns blazing as they dropped two bombs on the trees, the force of which shook the ground like thunder.

The fire died down, many of the attackers dead or dying, many broke through trying to find new cover running across the open ground "Come on, let's shred these bastards"! Skipper yelled as rifle fire tore the black combat runners down like it was a turkey shoot. They never knew what had hit them.

As the last one hit the dirt and exploded into shards of white hotness, the Sergeant removed his helmet and wiped the sweat from his brow. "Jesus that was a close one" he sighed as the rest of the men let out cries of joy, relaxed or just laughed. The air was filled with cries of "Get some" and Semper Fi"!

The men milled about for a few minutes before a higher up ordered the company to mount back up into the trucks, with a bit of bellyaching in minutes they had gone back on the road and on there way...

...

 **Aboard USS _Midway,_ Southern Greater Mongolian* Sea**

Captain Tina "Texas" Davids zipped up her G-suit, more out of need then choice, the pine green outfit would keep the blood from rushing out of her head during flight. Her legs housed in the strikers would have no issue, but her matching shorts gave a uniform look to her. Closing her locker, she caught her helmet being thrown at her against her breasts,looking up from the catch she laid eyes on her wingman, Amber "Davy Boy" Davison, the brunet smiled and blinked her emerald eyes in the morning sunlight.

"Still got it i see" she nodded making fun of her friend.

"After this" she said as they started walking towards their strikers sitting ready on the deck "Lets go into "Town" tonight for some fun eh, just like a shore Leave, just like the fun we had last time" she laughed.

"At least i got Leave, you ended up stuck in Saigon for a week" Tina laughed back with her own smirk recalling the memory. placing the flight helmet on her head, Amber slipped on her own, a painted shark's smile across the front showed teeth and they both turned, suited up and moved on deck ready. The day was s calm one, a cool pacific wind blew from the south, and the sky was clear of all but a few clouds.

It sure is a good day to fly" Tina smiled

"And a Good day to die"? Amber joked as her friend entered her Striker with the help of a Deck crewmen, her F-4 Phantom, the sleek twin shapes at her feet were the best in the United States Navy's fleet, it could carry four Sparrow Radar guided missiles and four Sidewinders, the weapons scaled down for combat witches striker units, to fire them, she had two controls at her side on wires, each had a button for the two war heads mounted one her striker, when not in use, they could be clipped into her harness.

Lowering herself in, her helmet lit up, the Heads up Display powered by her magic. She looked over the green display in her vision, "magic output normal" she said into her mic.

"Weapons normal" Amber added looking over her own HUD as a Crewmen handed her a rifle, an M-14 with a larger magazine. The F-4 didn't mount guns in it's Jet or Striker models unalike the latter model II,they didn't do too much damage to Neuroi but when your out of rockets and taking fire, your going to need something other then spit and fists to throw at the enemy.

"This is tower, your cleared for take off at catapult, when ever your ready" she heard the crewman's voice say inside her helmet. both Witches looked at each other and moved into the Catapult positon, leaned in a runners stance and gave the tower and pair of twin thumbs up.

"Lets fly" Amber yelled as they were both thrown forwards off the deck, both witches gunned their engines and took to the air mere feet over the waves below. Puling up, Amber took Tina's wing and they moved into formation for there CAP, combat air patrol...

 **Phu Bai Combat Base**

"Come on Ash, why do we have to work on our day off" Emily asked to her friend as she worked over her striker, the red head payed her no mind as she tightened a bolt on her M48s "Leg"'s side. The witch had been working heavily on her Strikers for an hour now, going over the output and power for some time.

"Because" she sighed leaning her body up off the floor to look at her friend "In the worlds of o'l Blood and Guts himself "You need to look like a soldier and act like one before you are one" she stressed as the Zealander payed little heed as she played with her sidearm, spinning it my the trigger guard like she was John Wayne.

"Fine, guess i'll go mess with Will then" she sighed. Why would Ash waste such a day on work?

Walking out into the sun, she smiled at a passing infantrymen and turned heading towards the witches quarters and something fun to do. She smiled at a group of soldiers who walked by, the gift of a wave given in return, walking up the steps and into the door, she found Jamie sleeping on her rack snoring ever so slightly, Will was flipping through a book _On the wings of Fate_ the cover showing an Me-109 and a pilot before it arms crossed, it's author, one Peter Von Luck, looked like a nerd (or at least his photo on the back did)

"Ugh" she cried flipping onto her friends bed waking her "Are you guys really gonna waste a day off"?

"How often do i find time to read"? Will asked her,she huffed and sighed about him being a "nerd", Jaime looked at her and placed a hand on her shoulder "Okay then, what do you want to do then"? she asked, the busty blonde realized at once, for all her bellyaching, she didn't know either.

"We could relax" Will suggested, she huffed at that, "That idea sucks, we're young women in the prime of our lives and you want us to waste a free day"?

"Learning, becoming better known on a subject, sounds something horrid, your right" Jamie mocked in a joking tone.

"Uh...yeah, it does" the Blonde sighed. "Can't we go into town at least, i haven't been to Hue in ages"

The spoken words of leave off base perked both of the buildings occupants nerves, anytime a grunt could get out of the strain of base life, they would take it, that was spelled true for both an average infantrymen or a ground witch.

"If you can get your hands on some transport, i'm in" Jamie smiled, Will looking up from his book nodded as well.

"I think lil o'll me can wrangle up a jeep for us" she beamed flashing a set of keys at the pair before her. Jamie tilted her head at her friend "Where did you get those"?

"I have my ways" she laughed tapping her chest with a broad grin that shined in the sun light. "When you've got the..."assets" i do, anything is possible" she laughed. The two smiled at her, and collected together the things one brings on a trip into town, lower standards and cash.

"Fuck,you been saving up for a mail-order bride buddy"? the blonde asked watching the RTO open a small zipperd bag flowing with Military currency

"No, just not much in country to spend it on, minus radio batteries and food" he shook his head with a simple smirk.

"What? no fuck and suck for you"? her eyes gleamed as she asked with a sadistic smile to counter his own.

"No" he sighed zipping his "bank" up, having taken a quarter of it's contents out "I'd rather keep my privates their normal, not blown up and green size"He'd heard enough stories to have learned that a "quickie" wasn't worth your manhood to release stress.

"So we heading to the Girdle or no"? Jamie asked, the name sent Will's mind on it's side as to what they were speaking off.

"Yep, best drinks this side of the 17th parallel*, and cheapest too"

he guessed the price had more to do with the choice then the quality of the beverages in what he assumed was a bar. both watches laughed about "old times" had at said bar, leaving the RTO alone to himself. He'd recalled a few drinks with the squad...with friends long passed, but the prospect of some R&R wasn't something a grunt passed up.

"So then" Jamie asked pressing her finger against her lips "I'll go grab Ash, you get our ride ready eh"? she laughed running out the door, leaving the young man and the witch alone. A silence last for but a moment as she took his hand "Come on then, lets go" she yelled dragging him outside. The looks he received from passing servicemen as she pulled him along ranged from questionable to thumbs up from one smiling private.

The 101st Man knew a"lovely"lady at hand could make even the most hated of grunts into everyone's favorite bunk mate...if he shared and was clean, so the reaction was understood to him. She dragged him straight the the bases motor pool, a large section of buildings, jeeps, trucks and tanks sat about, some being worked on, others rusted to the bone likely to only serve as scrap for the rest of they're short lives.

The Witch let go of his hand and was through the door of one of the non discript buildings in less then three seconds, he followed closely, more out of curiosity then anything else. Inside, a bland gun metal grey desk sat stacked with papers and pens, behind it, an even more bland kid not even 19 sat, his black hair hung to his for head like a mop on a wet floor.

"Can i help you"? he asked not looking up from his papers. Emily smiled.

"Yes, i'll be needing, one M151 Truck and the keys to said truck" she beamed, he looked up from his desk at us both for a moment, before shaking his head and opening a draw, taking a stack of papers think as my fist and dropping them in front of us "Fill these out, then bring them to your CO and get them sighed, you'll have wheels in about three days" he said in a tone more akin to boredom then an Army job.

"Well, you see bout that" she laughed as if a joke had been told "We need a ride NOW, as in like, right now, kay"?

The clerk looked at her eyes wide "Maim, without the proper forms, i cannot allow you to..." he trailed off as the witch leaned across the desk towards him, placing both hands palm flat across the wooden frame "Really now"? she asked Coyly, her hand shooting to her suits zipper. With a far more "friendly" smile then before, she began to pull the brass downwards, exposing her bra clad chest to the chair jockie.

"Maim...please..." he stuttered as she laughed "What"? she said placing a finger to her lips "Go...further" she grinned pulling the zipper down even more. The ripe flesh covered by white fabric, the beckoning call in silence they gave off attracted his hand, slowly quivering reached out, forming a C shaped claw, moved forwards only to be snatched into the witches hand's.

"Now then, about that jeep"? she asked with a cute smile. A single trickle of blood ran down the clerks cheek, shaking, he turned around, and after a moment, produced not only a set of keys but a folder "these will get you through any MPs you might come across" he smiled slightly. Taking them, she returned the gesture, and kissed him on the forehead

"Thanks a Bunch" she laughed as we walked out the door, leaving the clerk with what can be assumed was a "Bulge the Size of the Ardennes.

"What...the hell was _that_ "? the RTO asked.

"That..." she smiled "Was my version of "Work" she laughed. I was put off by such behavior, and maybe my own battle of the Ardennes in my own pants from that was blurring my judgement. We walked out to a row of Jeeps, i watched the witch hop into the seat of the cleanest looking jeep and smile "Always the best for me" she laughed starting the engine up. She smiled and patted the seat next to her, i sat down and wasn't still for more then a moment before the jeep began moving.

They drove through the narrow "roads" of the base, passing men and witches in all manner of action, some milling about, others at work. The Vehicle skidded to a halt in front of our quarters, sending mud flying behind us, Jamie and Ashly walked out the door, the latter sporting a pair of sunglasses and Jamie dressed in a tank top.

"Never can be too "Casual" for a day off aye"? the man asked with a smile. Jamie smiled at him, Ashly flipped him the bird. Getting in the backseat, to let Ashly drive, Emily smiled at Will from through the rear view mirror. They'd barely placed there seat belts on as the jeep roared forwards, kicking up afternoon dust and dirt. Puttering out of the man gate with a wave to the sentry, we were off.

Clicking the radio on, a smooth voice played over the engine _Your listening to AFVN*,the hour is 08:00, the weather forecast is expected to be humid and wet, just like ever other day, but you know what they say, if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen, oh wait, you got drafted, so their wasn't a choice what there?_

The witches and RTO laughed at the DJ, he spoke with a serious tone, despite his comedy stick _._

 _"I'm Senior Airmen David Tyson, and here is a song for all you boys and girls, who are 30 days or less towards the Freedom Bird*, i hope you'll enjoy the late but great Buddy Holly's, "Everyday"_ he said smoothly as the song began to play.

"I love this song" Jamie smiled shaking her head to the beat. Her Zealander friend clapped her hands to the song along with the notes of the song. Will smiled a bit, it was easy to forget these were girls, tough as nails tank girls, but still girls in the prime of youth none the less.

He laughed aloud at the thought. His father has said the same thing about working on the USS _Enterprise_ during his own service, he never thought he'd have the same thing happen to himself.

"Must run in the family" he laughed to himself eyeing the road ahead.

Sometimes, war wasn't half bad.

...

Flying over the coast of Vietnam, the two Navy Witches flew in tandem formation, eyes locked to their HUDs. The peaceful "alone" time was nice, but the chatter of their radios broke the silence.

"Tango Flight, this is _Midway_ , be advised, we're picking up an unknown number of bogies inbound towards Yankee Station*, prepare for reroute to intercept, how copy"?

Tina smirked under the dark glass of her helmet "acknowledged _Midway,_ heading"?

"Turn to heading zero one niner, two four"

"Copy that _Midway_ , we're on the way now" she added, her strikers kicking their back burners on, heading for conflict at top speed. "Who we up against" Amber questioned as she checked over her rifle.

"Unknown until we can get visual on em"

"What about numbers Tina"?

"Also unknown" the swabbie answered. Ahead, she could see a large mass of clouds, the perfect hiding spot for an airbush*

"Great, just the way i like it" her wingmate joked. She always did have a good vibe about her. "Well, lets lock and load" Amber laughed, her M-14 at the ready, it was a Model-W or "Witch" model, set to fire in fully automatic, the recoil would have broken a normal man's arm and been to hard to control, but a witch's enhanced strength made it usable.

"I have sight of bogies now" Amber said into her mic, ahead, perhaps a mile and a half out, the sleek triangular shape of two Neuroi fighters appeared in formation out of the clouds. Thumbing her rocket's triggers, Tina waited until her helmet's HUD shined green over the "slower" Neuroi.

"FOX-1*"! she yelled as a scaled down AIM-7 Sparrow flew off her left wing. It sailed forwards, leaving a stark white trail behind itself as it chased after the Neuroi. The black fighter pulled to the left, trying to dodge the Sparrow, but the weapon stuck true, and struck home, turning the back of the Neuroi to dust and flames and sending the rest into a tailspin to the ocean bellow.

"Water will take care of the rest" she smiled turning her attention to the second fighter. Beside her, she heard the clatter of Amber's M-14, the automatic fire chasing the fleeing Neuroi, knocking off chunks of the thing's tail. But the enemy wasn't out of tricks yet, pulling into a tight turn, it sailed into a 180 degree turn, firing it's lasers at the Witches.

Pushing her hand forwards, Tina's shield appeared before her, the black glancing it and bouncing off at an angle. As it dissipated she raised her M-14 and fired a decently aimed five round burst. The spray of 7.62 slapped the Neuroi on it's side, a line of clean holes lining it's "skin"

As it tried to gain some height on it's attackers, Tina heard her wingman shout "FOX-1" as another Sparrow charged into the Neuroi, exploding the beast into dust.

"This is Tango Flight, we have two boggies down, dead in the water, over" Tina smiled sending the message of their victory back to the _Midway_. A moment of silence followed before she was given a reply "Copy that Tango Flight, your clear of any other contacts for miles, return for rearm and refit,copy"?

"Roger that, just don't forget the stencils for our kills, over and out" Tina laughed forming up to return to the Carrier with her fellow witch. Behind them, the dead forms of Neuroi in the water, ahead, clear sky.

"Seems kinda odd" Amber said breaking the silence.

"What"? she asked her friend.

"Those two didn't stand a chance against us, but they still flew at us, seems like a waste, you know"?

She agreed, it was a death mission to attack to F-4 Witches as such small models of Neuroi, but they'd seen this before, at the end of the Pacific War, Neuroi had grown more desperate, some even crashing themselves into ships to attempt to sink them. Did this mean they had them beat?

As if knowing her friend's thoughts, amber added "We still don't have em wipped enough for suicidal attacks, it's gotta be something else"

"But What"? Tina said solemnly as they flew back towards their ship.

But what indeed.

...

 **Greater Mongolia: The SW verse version of China, the mongols took it by force under the Yuan dynasty.**

 **17th parallel: The** **divided** **between the Human controlled Southern Vietnam and the Neuroi held Northern Vietnam.**

 **Yankee Station: The area of the South Mongolian Sea that United States Navy Carriers launched Aircraft from.**

 **AFVN: Armed Forces Radio Vietnam.**

 **Freedom Bird: The GI nickname for the aircraft that took soldiers home after their tour ended.**

 **FOX-1: Code for firing of short range missiles, such as the AIM-7 Sparrow**


End file.
